Actually, Jimmy Brogan played “Random”.
The Charmings–Snow White and Prince Charming do a sitcom. It was as bad as it sounds.
They’re indistinguishable. :rolleyes:
Nobody’s mentionned Joanie loves Chachi yet? Or was it put out of our misery before the cutooff?
It was an “Episodic Spinoff” (though there are probably other terms).
There are three basic types of spinoff-
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Character Spinoff: a regular or at least recurring character becomes the center of a show.
Successful: Gomer Pyle, Rhoda, The Jeffersons
Less successful: Flo, Gloria, Grady -
The Posthumous Spinoff: a show ends and one or more of the characters continues in another show
Successful: Frasier, Lou Grant, Mayberry RFD (though it never airs now)
Less Successful: Joey, Three’s A Crowd, Sanford Arms
And then there’s this one: a character is written especially for no other purpose than to be spun off, like Random (in an episode where Fonz has to fight the devil for some reason or other) and Mork. Often the pilot starts like an episode of the regular show and quickly switches to characters you’ve never seen before. Pilot-episodes that were never picked up include one about an interracial marriage on Facts of Life (the bride was Tootie’s aunt) or Ken Berry and his wife raising three multiracial children on an episode of The Brady Bunch. You don’t have these so much anymore.
Speaking of: Wasn’t Family Matters (easily a candidate for ‘worst long running sitcom’) an episodic spinoff of some show?
Yes, Harriette was the elevator operator on “Perfect Strangers” for a couple of years before “Family Matters” began. Don’t recall if there was any crossover after the latter series began.
I can think of several game shows that were awful enough that I regretted wasting time on them and couldn’t believe someone actually green-lighted them. In particular, “Break the Bank” (syndicated in 1985) and “Bargain Hunters” (on ABC in 1987) were vile. In both cases, the combination of cheesiness and stupidity were just amazing.
Excellent choice. I’m not sure I made it through five episodes of this sucker. A footnote to the comment on the second season - they got there by somehow getting a Gemini capsule launched into orbit. Cramming five people in there is simple by comparison.
As I recall, there were no treadmills involved.
Joanie Loves Chachi
AfterMASH
The San Pedro Beach Bums
Cavemen
Anything live action show ever made for the Disney Channel.
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Aliens in the Family. Warning! Link not safe for your sanity!
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V (the original series)
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That’s My Bush!
Washingtoon on the USA network, 80s. It was supposed to be based on a satirical Village Voice comic strip that I really liked; imagine my disappointment when the only thing that made it to the tube was the name of the protagonist, Bob Forehead. V. bad.
I certainly remember watching the first couple of episodes of the Chevy Chase Show and being horrified. I recall a specific sketch where Chevy went to go put his hands in the cement outside that Chinese Theater, and fell in. I cringed. Wikipedia says it lasted for five weeks <!>
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Out Of This World. Alien teenager who talks to her Dad through a glowing cube voiced by Burt Reynolds, who sounded like he was reading his lines over the phone while sitting poolside. Slightly better than Small Wonder which makes it much less rewatchable.
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Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip. Another for which I hung around, watching it get preachier and more irritating, until one episode where two characters were locked on the roof of the building surrounded by skyscrapers and didn’t have cell reception or some shit. That was it for me.
I loved Manimal. LOVED it. What a horrible, terrible show, but I loved it and cannot deny my love.
I’m pretty sure it’s the worst show I’ve ever watched.
“Family Matters” started out okay, until Urkel. Then it was the kiss of death. Originally it was just going to be a regular family sitcom. Then…blech.
“Full House” was pretty bad. Dave Coulier makes me want to stab my ears with a flathead screw driver. (No wonder the middle daughter ended up a methhead.)
Oh god, I remember that show! I’d rather listen to nails on a chalkboard than her voice.
In the same vein, does anyone remember “Hi Honey, I’m Home”? It was about a 1950s sitcom family transported into the real life in the 90s? It was bad. Seriously, seriously bad. I can’t imagine the kind of drugs the network execs were taking when they came up with this.
I’m embarrassed to admit that I liked “Small Wonder”, but keep in mind, I was only about six when it was on.
Firefly
Desperate Housewives after the first season
In the late 1960s Mayor John Lindsay had a Sunday late night show on a New York station. Talk about people who make cigar store Indians seem lively.
Someone already mentioned Joanie Loves Chachi. How about The Brady Brides?
Deadwood
What a Dummy
90’s first run syndication sitcom about a family living with a living ventriloquist dummy. Like most shows of this sort, it had the usual stuff like keeping the living dummy a secret, but then in one episode they had the dummy testifying in court. Way worse than Small Wonder (which I liked, but like Guinastasia, I was a kid).
“The Brady Bunch Hour” The Brady Bunch Hour - Wikipedia
I watched every episode.
The Simpsons parodied it with “The Simpsons Family Smile-Time Variety Hour”
hmmmm i see a trend …
[QUOTE=lew_cody]
I can think of several game shows that were awful enough that I regretted wasting time on them and couldn’t believe someone actually green-lighted them. In particular, “Break the Bank” (syndicated in 1985) and “Bargain Hunters” (on ABC in 1987) were vile. In both cases, the combination of cheesiness and stupidity were just amazing.
[/QUOTE]
Had to have been better than Supermarket Sweep.